A grandfather with an unregistered home-made gun who allegedly threatened to kill his daughter and her family in a suicide-murder has been sent to Canberra Hospital for a mental health assessment.
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Police were called to a Narrabundah home at 1am and found a home-made .22 pistol and five .22 calibre rounds.
Constable Scott Amjah told the ACT Magistrates Court the man's daughter, along with her children and partner, hid in a room with the door locked and fled out the window when police arrived.
The 41-year-old was charged with possessing an unregistered firearm and ammunition.
Constable Amjah said he had concerns for the man's wellbeing and that of his family.
He said the man smelled of alcohol and had taken an amount of prescription medication, including valium, when he was alleged to have told his daughter he was going ''to end it all'' and that the family would ''all go together''.
The man was already on bail when he appeared before Magistrate Peter Dingwall.
Mr Dingwall said the seriousness of the firearms offences, which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, would make it difficult for the man to be granted bail again even if a mental health assessment cleared him of being a danger to himself and his family.
The man's Legal Aid solicitor initially sought bail. She told the court her client believed his daughter made up the threats of self-harm against her and her family because she wanted his Narrabundah home.
She said the gun belonged to the man's father, who had recently passed away.
